Breaking up is hard to do. But lawyers, counselors, astrologists and lifestyle coaches at Britain’s first divorce fair this weekend will aim to make the process easier.
The fair — cheerily named the “Starting Over Show” — takes place today at a cozy hotel in the seaside resort town of Brighton.
There will be live music, book signings and play areas for kids.
OFF TO A GOOD START
Organizer Suzy Miller said the event would focus on the positive, starting with a warming cup of tea and a chunk of homemade cake.
“There are wedding fairs everywhere telling you how to tie the knot, but when people go through a divorce they need more help, more support,” Miller said.
Though Britain has one of the highest divorce rates in Europe, Miller said the Brighton event would be unlike the continent’s first divorce fair in Austria two years ago, which featured private investigators and companies offering DNA tests for proof of paternity.
Instead, psychics would offer to heal people’s minds and bodies, color therapists would advise on what colors to wear to feel confident and one company would suggest boosting finances by selling a healthy version of chocolate, she said.
LENDING AN EAR
“Sometimes people just need someone to talk to,” said exhibitor Martina Mercer-Hall, who uses astrology and alternative therapies to advise on designing one’s homes after divorce. “We listen to people at a lonely time of their lives, and offer advice on getting through it.”
Many of the 30 or so exhibitors who have paid up to £1,600 (US$2,245) for a stall, plan to focus on having fun after the divorce is over.
One exhibitor called the “Shoe Queen” can organize the footwear equivalent of Tupperware parties, selling stilettos instead of rubber margarine tubs. Another plans art appreciation vacations.
A dating agency promises to help those interested in giving love another chance.
On a more pragmatic note, the fair offers mediators to help couples navigate divorce without lawyers, and debt counselors to help them avoid bankruptcy.
ABOVE THE EU AVERAGE
In Britain, 2.6 people out of every 1,000 divorce, compared with a European average of 1.8, EU statistics in 2001 showed. A 2002 report from the Center for Policy Studies think tank suggests more people split up in Britain because there are few tax or welfare advantages to being married.
It also suggested that younger Britons did not view marriage as a serious commitment.
Organizers, who have sold 300 advance tickets at about £5 each, said the show was meant to inspire people.
“The message is that you can have a good life: Your life doesn’t revolve around the fact that you are divorced,” Miller said.
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